Mechanical Engineer
About The Position
The Mechanical Engineer II/III transforms ideas into field-ready wildfire mitigation solutions that protect structures, support operations, and reduce wildfire risk. This role is for a bold, highly creative engineer who thrives in ambiguity, moves quickly from concept to prototype, and is driven to build things that have never been done before. The ideal candidate is not risk-averse. Instead, they are a disciplined innovator who learns fast, iterates relentlessly, and pushes ideas to practical, operational success. This position bridges engineering design and field deployment. The engineer owns projects end-to-end: conceiving, designing, prototyping, testing, refining, and helping transition solutions into production and operational use. Success requires balancing speed, ingenuity, safety, manufacturability, and cost so that innovation creates not only technical value, but also scalable and profitable business outcomes.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline
- 4+ years of relevant experience in mechanical design, product development, industrial design, or applied engineering
- Demonstrated hands-on ability to build, modify, troubleshoot, and improve physical systems
- Experience working with prototypes, field equipment, or high-reliability systems
- Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals with the ability to apply them in practical, fast-moving environments
- Proficiency in CAD, preferably AutoCAD, for design development and technical documentation
- Experience planning and executing test programs, including instrumentation, data collection, and performance evaluation
- Ability to work across mechanical, electrical, and operational disciplines to deliver functional systems
Nice To Haves
- Experience with pumps, fluid systems, suppression systems, or small-engine equipment
- Familiarity with low-voltage wiring, controls, sensors, and integrated electromechanical systems
- Experience with platforms such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, PLCs, or similar control/automation systems
- Background in emergency response, fire service, industrial operations, or other mission-critical environments
- FE/EIT certification preferred; PE not required
Responsibilities
- Lead design-build projects from concept through prototype, validation, and production-ready deployment
- Develop wildfire mitigation technologies such as pumps, barriers, sprinklers, suppression systems, thermal protection systems, and related deployment equipment
- Integrate mechanical, electrical, and control components into functional prototypes and field-ready systems
- Conduct structured lab and field testing, including live-burn or simulated-condition testing where appropriate
- Collect, interpret, and act on performance data such as temperature, heat flux, pressure, flow, durability, and system response
- Troubleshoot mechanical and electrical issues in real time and drive rapid iteration
- Evaluate materials, components, and fabrication methods for performance, reliability, manufacturability, and cost
- Partner with Innovation & Assembly to convert prototypes into buildable, repeatable, and cost-efficient designs
- Work with Field Operations to ensure equipment is practical to deploy, maintain, and operate in real wildfire conditions
- Coordinate with external vendors and suppliers on specifications, sourcing, fabrication, testing, and schedule performance
- Produce clear, professional engineering documentation, including design notes, test reports, technical memoranda, and recommendations
- Support WTS consulting and applied engineering work as needed, including design development, drafting, and implementation support
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
